germophobe
noun
germ·o·phobe
ˈjər-mə-ˌfōb 
variants
or germaphobe
plural germophobes or germaphobes
: a person who has an abnormal fear of germs or contamination : one affected with germophobia
No wonder germophobes—including me—are on high alert, viewing every surface as a potentially lethal petri dish.—
Laura Landro
Laura LandroThe stone's actual powers are debatable, but one thing's for sure—the Blarney Stone is a germaphobe's nightmare.—Catherine Prince
Catherine Prince
germophobic
adjective
or germaphobic
In a sometimes germophobic society, we spend countless hours and dollars disinfecting surfaces, washing our hands, and taking antibiotics to keep unwelcome bacteria, fungi, and viruses at bay.
—Jan Suszkiw
Jan Suszkiw
Examples of germophobe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All the characters add to the overall narrative, but Steve, a germophobe with OCD, stands out.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024
To pump the return of Tony Shalhoub as a beloved germophobe detective in Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, the marketing pros at Peacock had plenty of options, especially on the heels of a pandemic.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2023
Trump is a confessed germophobe.
—Willie Brown, SFChronicle.com, 3 Oct. 2020
Jack Antonoff has always been a serious, handshake-avoiding, airplane-seat-wiping germophobe, but the past year didn’t phase him much.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2021
The main concern for Dahl, who freely calls himself a germophobe, is his employees' health and safety.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 3 Nov. 2020
All gathered Trump supporters, largely maskless, tightly packed together, and yet the president -- a habitual germophobe even before the pandemic -- always emerged unscathed.
—Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg.com, 4 Oct. 2020
His voice may carry extra weight in the COVID-19 era, because Mandel is well known as a handshake-avoiding germophobe.
—Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2020
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Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024
To pump the return of Tony Shalhoub as a beloved germophobe detective in Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, the marketing pros at Peacock had plenty of options, especially on the heels of a pandemic.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2023
Trump is a confessed germophobe.
—Willie Brown, SFChronicle.com, 3 Oct. 2020
Jack Antonoff has always been a serious, handshake-avoiding, airplane-seat-wiping germophobe, but the past year didn’t phase him much.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2021
The main concern for Dahl, who freely calls himself a germophobe, is his employees' health and safety.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 3 Nov. 2020
All gathered Trump supporters, largely maskless, tightly packed together, and yet the president -- a habitual germophobe even before the pandemic -- always emerged unscathed.
—Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg.com, 4 Oct. 2020
His voice may carry extra weight in the COVID-19 era, because Mandel is well known as a handshake-avoiding germophobe.
—Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Germophobe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germophobe. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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